The Scald Crow doesn't waste time with hand-holding. Author Hanna Park kicks you straight into the Irish bogs, car troubles, and uncanny vibes before you can even unpack your suitcase. It's a ride-mud-splattered, magical, and way more emotional than you'd expect.

The story follows Calla Sweet, a Canadian news anchor who crashes-literally and figuratively-into the Irish countryside. She's reeling from a career implosion, haunted by a mysterious ability to foresee death, and tangled up in an inheritance from a man she's never met. What follows is a trippy, slow-burn unraveling of secrets, fae folklore, and personal reckoning, all soaked in atmosphere thicker than a pint of Guinness.

Calla's voice is hilarious, sharp, and often heartbreaking. One minute she's cracking jokes about bog stench and bees, the next she's reliving trauma or spiraling into a vision. The tone swings wildly-and that's the beauty of it. Hanna Park writes like she's sitting across from you at a pub, telling ghost stories between pints. Sometimes poetic, sometimes blunt, always immersive.

Then there's Colm O'Donnell. Former military, current tree farmer (ish), and the brooding mystery man you didn't ask for but definitely needed. He's got secrets. Big ones. The tension between him and Calla hums through the pages-not in a cheesy rom-com way, but in a "this could get really messy" kind of way. And it does.

What makes this book stand out isn't just the Irish folklore-it's the way Park blends it into the everyday. Faerie beliefs, ancestral ties, and supernatural tinges creep in slowly, almost casually. You're never sure if you're in a fantasy or just reading the most magical slice-of-life novel ever written. Either way, it works.

The pacing's a little uneven at times. Some scenes go on longer than they probably should, especially in the quieter middle sections. But the dialogue sparkles, the emotional weight lands, and the sense of place is absolutely nailed. By the time the last page rolls around, you're left wanting more-in a good way. It's the first in the Beyond the Faerie Rath series, and you'll be itching to follow Calla deeper into the rabbit hole.

The Scald Crow is a moody, magical, and wonderfully weird debut that sneaks up on you. It's not about saving the world-it's about finding your place in it, even if that place happens to be at the edge of two worlds.

5 Stars

Literary Titan

Publisher: Baisong Press

Pub date: 2025-05-26

Length: 258 pages